The Prisoner
by ALifeOfFiction000
Summary: King Miraz has a daughter named Mary who he has kept extremely sheltered. On the night of the siege she runs into King Edmund who spares her life, but when he is captured and taken prisoner because of her, she feels obligated to return the favor. However, as she gains his trust, her father plans to exploit it to find where the Narnians are.
1. Chapter 1

Mary woke as if from a nightmare, her heart beating quickly and her body covered in sweat. She clutched her chest as she tried to calm down, not able to remember having a dream. She lay back down and pulled the covers close to her as if they were her shield, closing her eyes tightly and hoping to find a peaceful rest. However, once her heart returned to its regular pace, a loud noise quickened it once again. She heard running in the hallway outside her door and loud clanging from outside her window.

"The front gate is open! They've entered the courtyard! All men out, now!" Mary slowly eased out of her bed and reached for a candlestick from her desk. The footsteps disappeared once she reached the door, and when she barely opened it to look outside, the hallway was clear as if no one had been there moments before.

"Father?" she whispered, wondering if maybe he was making his way to find her, hoping he would be able to hear her but at the same time fearing that someone unwelcome would hear. If the intruders were in the courtyard, she figured it highly possible that some had made it inside the castle. But who were they? Why were they here?

She stepped outside of her room and looked both ways before rushing down the hallway in the direction of her parents' room. There was no sign of the guards that usually lined the corridors, or the ones who stood outside the rooms. She figured they had gone to fight with the other men. But again, she wondered who the intruders could be. She didn't remember her father saying anything about nearby threats or disagreements with other people. Despite this lack of knowledge, she knew they were dangerous and extremely violent. They had invaded her home, and now she feared they would kill the people she loved.

"Father?" she called quietly into the dark room, tears running down her cheek upon finding no one was in there. Had something happened to them, or had she been forgotten? It seemed as though everyone had been evacuated, and yet here she was alone, roaming the castle at night in the middle of a siege. She picked up the bottom of her nightgown and clutched the candlestick, running down the hallway, hoping maybe she would find someone in another room who would help her. She wondered now why her father had never taught her what to do in this kind of situation, but she reminded herself he had never even mentioned the possibility. He had been convinced they would always be safe.

She hurriedly turned the corner at the end of the hallway and ran into something hard. She found the thing to be a boy, who quickly pulled her against him and covered her mouth with his hand. She started to breathe heavily as she struggled, trying to hit her attacker with the candlestick, but he quickly disarmed her.

"Calm down, it's ok." She steadied her breathing as he loosened his grip, allowing her to turn to face him, his hand still over her mouth. She looked over his dark hair and dark eyes but found him to be unfamiliar. She wondered if he was from the kitchen, or the stables possibly, but then she noticed his clothing. She didn't know who he was or where he was from, but she knew that he was not a Telmarine. "Listen, I'm going to take my hand away, but please do not scream. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Okay? Don't scream." He hesitated for a moment until she nodded her head, then he dropped his hand.

"Please don't kill me, I'll take you to our vault. We have gold and jewels and everything you would want-"

"I'm not a thief, but I have to go help my brother. I'm sorry I ran into you-" Suddenly the sound of marching feet came from the other end of the hallway and seemed to be approaching quickly. The boy reached for his sword and Mary's eyes followed, noticing the glint of the metal. Her eyes grew large and she quickly took a step back, tripping over her nightgown and hitting the floor hard.

"Guards! Help!" she yelled, continuing to push herself backwards and away from the threat. For a moment she noticed worry and fear flash across his face, maybe even disappointment. He turned to run but the guards had already entered the hallway and had seen him, following him back around the corner and out of sight. One of the guards stayed behind to help Mary, pulling her up to her feet.

"Are you hurt your highness? Did he hurt you? Why are you out here alone? Why aren't you safe with the others?" He continued to ask her questions that went unanswered as she tried to listen to what was happening, wondering if the boy had been caught and wondering if she shouldn't have yelled. She had been scared, but maybe he wasn't trying to hurt her. He wasn't much older than she was, and she could only imagine what the guards would do to him if they caught him, thinking he had tried to harm the king's daughter. She couldn't help the feeling of guilt that followed her as she was escorted to a safe room, reunited with her mother who told her what was happening. Narnians? Why had she never heard of them, and what were they doing here? She figured the boy must have been one of the Narnians, but he didn't seem anything like what her mother was describing them to be. That night she tried to sleep, her head in her mother's lap, her mother stroking her hair gently, but all she could think about was that boy. Who was he? And more importantly, why hadn't he killed her?

**Yes, this is short, but it's just the opening. I've had this idea for awhile now and finally decided to write about it. I hope you liked it and I hope you'll leave a review :) Next chapter she'll actually face him and learn his identity as well as see a darker side of her father in the way he handles the issue. It will get interesting, I promise!**


	2. Chapter 2

Sleep found no one that night. Mary remained close to her mother in the unfamiliar, dark room until some of their men came in to retrieve them, telling them that they were safe and that they should return to their chambers, but no one expected to sleep. Mary searched the faces in the room, wondering if they were as confused as she. Maybe she was the only one who had been kept in the dark about surrounding threats. But everyone look terrified, and no one looked as if they could say what had come into their home.

She went to her room as she was told and laid in her bed staring at the ceiling, her eyes darting to the window as her curiosity begged her to go look, to see what danger had been lurking by so closely. But they had been told not to look; they had been told that there was a mess being cleaned and that no lady should risk her innocence by looking at the barbaric remnants of what she assumed to be a battle. Perhaps a slaughter.

She had been lying there too long with no hope of sleep and the only thing she could think to do was look. Something in her needed to be exposed, to break down the wall her father had built that had made everything so much more terrifying, leaving her running in the dark from shadows—running into that stranger. She had almost forgotten.

So she found distraction in her curiosity and she went to her window to look. It was hard to see from her height, but there was something she could not miss. Besides some of their fallen men, there were no humans down there. What she could make out were large beasts, dressed in armor with weapons as if they were men. It was horrific! She backed away from the window and placed her hand on her chest, trying to slow her breathing so she wouldn't get sick. She ran to he bed quickly and drew the covers up to her chin, hoping somehow the image of those large, terrifying animals would escape her mind. But then again, she wanted to know more. What exactly had her father been keeping from her?

The next day was chaos. She was immediately greeted outside of her door by her ladies and was swept back inside as they immediately began prepping her to be dressed. Their hands were urgent as they unkindly ripped her nightgown away and replaced it with a dress, a much nicer dress than she would wear on any other day—then again, she assumed this wouldn't be like any other day. She knew her father would have something planned to ease the nerves of his people.

"Ow!" she muttered as they began pulling at her hair, placing each strand perfectly where it should be. "What's going on? What has my father planned?" she asked, but the women remained busy at work, only one daring to break the silence.

"Your mother will tell you. It's a very important day." They stepped away from her and looked her up and down, nodding in approval and gathering their things. They left quickly without a word, but before Mary could complain her mother replaced them, pulling her daughter in for a comforting hug.

"I'm sorry about the confusion last night. Someone was supposed to get you from your room and take you to where we were. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine mother, just confused-"

"Which was to be expected, of course. But today your father is going to clear some things up and he wants you to be there. Are you going to be okay, you think?" She touched her daughter's face softly then moved a strand of her hair, smiling with reassurance.

"Yes, I'll be fine."

"I'm worried you won't be." Her mother pulled her in for another hug then let go, leading her from her room through the hallways to the throne room, which was already full of people; she figured they were nobles. She took a seat in a small, throne-like chair beside her father. He quickly placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, turning back towards the people and standing. The moment he rose from his chair the room fell silent.

"As some of you know, we were attacked last night. Barbarians, here for our money, for our women, for our castle, but they didn't stand a chance. We as a people stayed strong, and we drove them out!" The men shouted and raised their fists in pride. "But these barbarians were not the usual intruders, no. They were Narnians! Animals, creatures, monsters! The things we destroyed so long ago have been living like ants, growing for a moment like this!" Mary watched her father in fear, having never heard of the Narnians or their supposed extinction, and she had certainly never seen her father so ready to spill blood. She no longer felt comfortable in the room of angry men, their eyes and their shouts demanding more blood.

"And our own Caspian was among them, leading them! Betraying us! Seeking blood from those who raised him, all in the name of Aslan!" The men laughed and yelled crude remarks, mocking the name heavily. "But we will not make the same mistake. This time we will kill every one of them, make sure not a single creature escapes into the woods to build up another army. No, we will find them and we will extinguish every one of them. You may be wondering how we are going to find the evasive barbarians, but we're lucky. My very own daughter has saved us all." King Miraz turned towards Mary and smiled, retreating to his throne and yelling over the anxious crowd, "Bring him to me!"

There was complete silence as the doors opened and a boy was pushed into the room, his wrists bound tightly behind his back by chain. He kept tripping as he was pushed forward, never given the chance to walk forward on his own.

"Father, what is this? Is that the boy-"

"Who tried to kill you? Yes, after you alerted the guards they were able to catch him before he pulled the gate back up."

"But father, he didn't try to kill me. What are you going to do to him? Please don't hurt him-"

"Don't speak to me that way Mary. I'm protecting you. I'm protecting all of us." The boy was pushed onto his knees in front of King Miraz, although he refused to make eye contact. "Do you know who this is? He is a Narnian! A human boy, yet it would seem as though Narnian blood flows through his veins." There was silence followed by confused whispering, questions of the possibility that Narnians were not only beasts but that they could hide among the humans. Silence returned when the king raised his hand. He crouched down in front of Edmund and forced him to look him in the eye. "Where are they, son? Tell me, and you'll live."

Edmund didn't speak. He defiantly stared at the king with dark eyes as the corner of his mouth pulled up.

"You'll never find them," he whispered, straightening out his face again and glancing quickly at Mary. Suddenly there was a loud crack as the king's hand came across Edmund's face, knocking him sideways onto the ground. The crowd cheered in response to the demonstration of their king's ferocity and power.

"How dare you defy me, and how dare you look at my daughter! They're barbarians I tell you!" He yelled, addressing the crowd once again.

Mary's hand pressed against her mouth holding in a scream, her eyes wide as she observed what had just happened.

"Where are they, where are the animals?" he taunted again, moving low to get into his face.

"I will _never _tell you-" there was another loud crack as Edmund fell once again, his hand unable to move to comfort his face because of the chain as the crowd let out another roar.

"Hit him again! Kill him! Make him bow to you!" the crowd continued to cheer.

"Father, stop-"

"Sit down Mary!" King Miraz turned quickly towards Mary with his arm extended and his face red. He noticed she had taken a step forward. "Take another step and you will be recognized as a traitor! Sit. Down." Mary fell back into her chair and realized the room was no longer cheerful and cruel, but now everyone sat watching the king address his daughter harshly as she was presented with her first lesson of ruthlessness.

"Take him downstairs, but wait to question him. I need to speak to my daughter first." Edmund was forced back onto his feet, his head hanging low now as he was taken away. Mary hid her face in her hands, embarrassed that she had started crying.

The king reached out and placed his hand over hers on her armrest, squeezing it gently as he once again addressed the men in front of them. "I promise you, we will kill every Narnian in due time. For the safety of our people now, and forevermore."

"Forevermore," they echoed. All eyes were on Mary as she stared intensely ahead, her tears starting to dry from her cheeks.

"Forevermore," she whispered.

**I hope there weren't too many mistakes! It's super late so I didn't get to edit it, but I felt bad that I hadn't updated in so long and I really wanted to write the next part. Next Mary is going to go visit Edmund in prison, and then it begins! Review, or don't, but I hope you enjoy :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**So I decided to go ahead and put the scene with his siblings in this part. I was going to put it later, but when I read a comment about it and was thinking about it, it seemed to fit here best. Of course they will come up again. Well, enjoy, this chapter is LONG :D**

"Are you hurt?" Peter asked, approaching his two sisters who were watching as the wounded were carried in, Lucy and Susan preparing to patch the mild wounds and then sparingly use Lucy's Cordial for those closer to death. They seemed in a daze, so Peter forcefully turned them around and looked them over, asking again if they were hurt.

"Peter, the ones who were trapped that we had to leave—they were slaughtered," Lucy whimpered. "Every one of them left behind, killed. They were screaming for us as we left them." Peter pulled his youngest sister in for a hug, observing Susan who seemed to be searching the crowd for Caspian.

"And what about Edmund? Have either of you seem him recently? I didn't see him during the battle, but I figured he was flown out before us." Peter let go of Lucy and stood, looking over the crowd coming into the hideout in search of his brother.

"Do you think he was wounded?" Susan asked.

"What an awful thing to say! I'm sure he's fine, probably just helping out somewhere." Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, but her arms gradually fell as she began to consider Edmund's whereabouts. "But I haven't seen him. You don't think-"

"Lucy, no, of course not. We just need to look around; he's here somewhere. Caspian!" Peter shouted, spotting him walking towards them. "Have you seen my brother around?"

"No. Now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing him during the fight. Wasn't he supposed to meet up with us?"

"Well, yes, unless he got caught up on the roof. Then he was supposed to wait to be flown out."

"Well all the people who were flown are here, and I haven't seen him. You don't think he's still-"

"Peter, if he's still there he's been killed," Lucy cried.

"No, Lucy, not necessarily. I know they killed everyone at the gate, but if they came across a human don't you think they would hesitate?" Peter now looked to Caspian again who seemed to be considering it.

"Miraz would want to know where we are, so it's possible he would take a prisoner. But Peter-" Caspian looked at Susan and Lucy who were completely focused on him, their faces twisted with worry. Caspian took hold of Peter's arm and pulled him away, speaking more quietly. "If Edmund is in the castle, and if he is still alive, I doubt he will be that way for long. They will torture him. Maybe we should move out, just in case he does-"

"Listen, Edmund made the mistake before of betraying his family, but believe me, he would never do it again. He would die before giving us up."

"Then we need to get to him soon if you want him alive." Peter glanced back at his sisters, Susan holding onto Lucy who was already crying.

"Go ask around, see if anyone has seen him. We're not sure he's still there." Susan nodded and pulled Lucy with her, disappearing into the chaotic crowd.

"Caspian, you know that castle better than any of us. Are we going to be able to get him out of there?"

"It's going to be difficult, and very risky. I don't know how many you would want to involve, but I do have to suggest that despite the urgency, we may have to approach this more slowly than you may like. If we want to get him out, we have to take the risk of taking our time. I know I said we have to get to him soon if you want him to still be alive, but we want that our people still be alive as well, right?" Peter nodded slowly, turning around and grunting as he hit the stone wall.

"This shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have pushed. If I had listened then all those Narnians would still be alive and Edmund would be here with us!"

"Peter, it doesn't help blaming yourself. If you want your brother to live, you're going to have to let it go and move on. This time we'll do better, I promise." Caspian placed his hand on Peter's shoulder for a moment before patting his back. "He'll be fine."

* * *

Mary had sat in her room crying, picturing the poor boy's abuse over and over, wondering what he was facing now in the prison. Maybe if she hadn't screamed—maybe he'd be all right. Then again, he was one of the Narnians, and she had seen what they had done. So if he were a barbarian, a monster like the rest of them, why didn't he kill her when he had the chance? Furthermore, he didn't look like any of the creatures she had seen earlier from her window. No, he looked like her, like a normal boy. It made everything so confusing, and she couldn't figure out why her father had forced her to watch such brutality. She had only ever seen the loving side of her father, but the man she saw filling his people with hatred and hitting the face of a young boy was far from loving, and it seemed he wanted blood above peace and safety. What had the Narnians done to him?

But she had to wipe away her tears and compose herself when she was told her father had called for her. She sent the servant away and said she would be out soon, giving her a moment to breathe and calm herself. She quietly left her room and walked back to the throne room where the violence had taken place earlier that day. As she reached for the door she heard voices from within the room, so she hesitated and listened. It was her mother and father.

"What made you think that our sixteen-year-old daughter was fit to see such brutality? She looked horrified, completely disgusted and scared."

"And that is exactly why I believed she needed to see it. She is vulnerable to these sorts of things because she sympathizes with people too easily. It's easy to evoke fear in people when what they are facing is inhuman—a fierce monster that looks like a nightmare. What's hard is making people see the danger in someone similar to himself, and Mary is by far old enough to understand that danger lives in even the most innocent looking opponents, not just in the monsters. She can't feel like she owes that boy anything. If he sees a chance to manipulate her, he'll have her walking him right outside the gates with a basket of food. She's naïve."

"And who is to blame for that? Maybe if you had told her of the Narnians before instead of hiding their history she would have been prepared-"

"That's it, that has to be it…"

"What has to be-"

"Their history!" King Miraz shouted, laughing loudly. "Why didn't I realize it before? It all makes sense now. That boy—I couldn't figure out why he was human, but it makes sense. There were four humans I heard of among the army, besides Caspian. Four. It has to be-"

"Mary?" her mother asked curiously, walking towards the door after hearing a noise. Mary quickly opened the door as if she had just approached it, smiling at her parents weakly. "Yes? I was told that father wished to speak to me?"

"Yes, of course. Dear, do you mind-"

"Of course not. I will see you later, Mary." Her mother came over and kissed her on the top of the head, stroking the side of her face gently and then leaving, closing the door behind her.

"Come, come sit my child." King Miraz beckoned his daughter to the throne, motioning for her to sit. Mary complied and sat in her mother's throne, extremely uncomfortable as she waited for what her father had asked her there for. "I'm worried that you may have viewed my earlier actions as harsh, so I thought I might need to explain my reasoning. My job is to protect my people, of course, and that siege put them in danger and killed many of my men. Now see, that boy that was in here earlier, he is our threat, you understand?" Mary nodded. "I need him to tell us where they are so that I will be able to protect my people the next time they come, and trust me, they will come back. That is a scary thought, is it not?" Mary nodded again. "Yes. So that boy, whoever he is, is refusing to speak, and his silence is putting everyone's life at risk. It is my job to make sure he speaks, and sometimes that requires pain as a motivator. I do not want his pain, but more than that I do not want the pain of my people, so I am forced to hurt him. Furthermore, he put your life at risk, and I never want that to happen again. I do this out of love, I hope you know." Mary nodded again, keeping eye contact with her father as he sighed. He held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead, bringing her in for a hug. "I love you so much, and I want you to understand why I do what I do, especially the hard decisions. I'm sorry you had to see me like that earlier, but one day when you are queen you will have to stand by your king's decisions and not waver. Will you be able to do that?"

"Yes father," she whispered, keeping her head down. He looked her over for a moment and sighed once again, placing his hand under her chin and lifting it up so that she was looking once again into his eyes.

"Never are you to go see him, you understand? I do not want you talking to him or even looking at him. He is a prisoner, you are a lady. Keep your distance."

"Yes father."

"I love you," he said, looking at her one more time before leaving the room. She fell back into the throne and considered her parents' earlier conversation, her father's sudden and unexplained realization. But her thoughts soon wandered to the words her father had just shared with her—the boy was not talking, so he was being hurt. She couldn't handle the idea that she was the cause of his pain and that his imprisonment could have been avoided. Really, she owed him her life, so she decided a small favor would have to do instead.

* * *

"Let me go in," Mary demanded, facing the guards that stood in front of the locked, wooden door. The boy had not been placed in a metal cage like all the other prisoners; he had been placed in a room of his own. Mary held a small basket of food, cloth, water, and a very small amount of alcohol in order to clean any wounds he may have.

"I have orders to let no one besides the king enter. I'm sorry, princess, but you can't go in."

"Well I too have orders from my _father_ and he wants me to talk to the boy. He said he hasn't been talking and he thinks that maybe I can help convince him." Out of respect the guard tried to hide his smile, but it was obvious he found Mary's request to be ridiculous. Mary raised her head and figured she would need a more confident approach to convince the men to let her through. "In case you haven't noticed, my father has been in a fairly irritable mood lately, and defiance is not tolerated. I was told that this boy was not talking and that we need him to talk in order to protect our people, so my father tried a violent approach and it has not worked, so he has called me in for a more nurturing approach. Perhaps you could do a better job? Or do you not consider this to be a woman's job?" She watched the man's stern demeanor crack as he considered what she said, and very slowly he moved out of her way and unlocked the door.

"You won't have but a few minutes."

"That's all I've asked for. Thank you." Mary opened the door and quickly closed it behind her, turning to find the dark-haired boy with his hands tied together on a wooden beam behind his back. He was looking right at her with his dark eyes and immediately she noticed the cut right above his eyebrow, probably from her father's hits earlier.

"I could hear you out there, so I think it best that I tell you now that I will not tell you any more than I have told your father." She was caught off guard for a moment by his broken voice, noticing trails that ran down his face that she figured had moments ago been tears. She was heartbroken.

"That's not why I'm here. Well, I know that's what I told them. I'm actually not supposed to be here—well, I need to hurry, so-" she found that she was extremely nervous in his presence, so as she set the basket down in front of him and knelt down, she tried to hide her fear. She immediately went to work, bringing out the small bowl of water and the wooden ladle. She dipped the ladle into the water and held it in front of him, trying to decide the best way to help since he could not use his hands. He looked at her as she placed the ladle to his lips, trying to keep her hand steady so it wouldn't spill. He didn't open his mouth but rather continued to stare at her, making her even more nervous.

"Please, just drink this. I'm not supposed to be here. I need to hurry." He slowly opened his mouth and allowed her to tip the water in, drinking it quickly. He was unable to hide his thirst as he quickly drank each time the ladle was brought to his lips. She then opened a package of bread, breaking off pieces and allowing him to eat. With the last bites she then turned her attention to his wounds, finding the cloth and dipping it into the leftover water. She started with the cut above his eyebrow, working to wash away the dirt and sweat. She tentatively held his chin so that she could move his head to the side and have better access to the cut, cleaning it with water before applying a small amount of alcohol to ensure it wouldn't get infected. As she applied the alcohol he let out a hiss, causing her to jump back and gasp.

"I'm so sorry, I'm not trying to hurt-"

"No, it's fine. It just hurts a little, but it's fine." She waited a moment before returning to the cut, quickly wiping it clean once more.

"Was there anywhere else?" He looked at her again as if trying to decide whether or not to answer, but finally he nodded and looked down.

"My back." Mary gathered more cloth and water and slowly moved to behind him, noticing a tear in his shirt that was bordered with blood. She grasped the hem of his shirt and hesitatingly lifted it up so she could see his back. She covered her mouth in horror upon seeing a long red mark, although not very deep, running along the majority of his back.

"What did this?" she asked, her voice shaking as a few tears fell.

"A whip," he stated, and she noticed a hint of anger underneath his tone.

"A whip? I didn't know my father even had one—it seems so, so…cruel." She washed the wound like the other but didn't dare leave the cloth on it, worried that what she had done already would draw attention and question from her father. After carefully lowering his shirt back down, she gathered all her items into the basket and turned towards the door.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Mary asked, still staring at the door in front of her.

"I had no reason to." She was surprised he answered her, but his answer still left her confused. She turned back around so she could see him, but his eyes were focused on the ground.

"You had every reason to. I'm the reason you were captured."

"You looked scared and lost. You weren't a part of it. There was no purpose in hurting you." Mary wondered if her father would have done the same if he had been in the same position, sparing the life of an innocent person, and she was worried that he wouldn't.

"What is your name?" There was a moment of silence between the two that seemed to last forever, but Mary was patient.

"Edmund."

"Edmund. All right, well, thank you for sparing my life. And please, don't tell my father of this or he will kill me." Mary reached for the door but stopped when she heard his voice.

"Well I've already gone to the trouble of sparing your life once, why not again?" She looked at him and noticed a half-smile on his face with the comment, and she found that she was smiling as well. Content with his answer and his name, Mary left the cell and thanked the guards, praying that they wouldn't find a need to discuss this occurrence with her father. She rushed back to her room and hid her basket in her wardrobe, hoping that maybe the next day she would be able to use it again.

**YAY! They finally interact! From here there will be more bonding, more planning by his siblings, and definitely more interference by King Miraz. Please review with any suggestions or any thoughts. I hope the wait wasn't too long! **


	4. Chapter 4

**So, VERY IMPORTANT. I would like to apologize and thank "crayonrose" for pointing out my mistake. I hate making an important plot mistake like this because it is careless and can cause confusion, so let me clear some things up. In chapter 2 I previously had that Miraz knew who Edmund was and announced it, but in chapter 3 he was just figuring it out, so *EDIT* I changed Chapter 2 so Miraz didn't know who he was but he has figured it out on his own, which will play a part in the next chapter. So overall, I would like to apologize for my stupid mistake and I hope something like that doesn't happen again, but I am human and I am usually rushed when writing these so mistakes will probably come up again and I just ask that if you notice a mistake point it out- I promise it doesn't hurt my feelings. Again, thank you "crayonrose" for paying such good attention and noticing that error! I owe you :) Anyway, here's another long chapter. **

"So tell me what they're like—the Narnians. I'd never heard of them before this, but apparently my people believed them to be extinct? I saw some of them, but I didn't recognize…what they were." Mary sat beside Edmund, her legs crossed while she carefully propped part of her back against the wooden beam trying to avoid his arm that wrapped around to the back of it, tied to the other. She sat close to him in a way that allowed her to avoid his gaze.

"You've never heard of them before? The centaurs, the minotaurs, or the fauns?" He asked in disbelief, turning his head in her direction but unable to see her. As if giving up, he sighed and returned to looking forward, trying to shift his arms to a more comfortable position, but struggling. "They're smart, not like your people think of them. They can talk, just like us—they actually share many qualities with people. In some ways they can even be better. More loyal, I've found. They came here after all, despite knowing the danger." He moved again in an attempt to loosen the rope, his arm brushing against Mary's back and causing her to jump forward. "Sorry, it just hurts."

"You know I can't do anything about that. I really am sorry. But the cut on your face looks better—well, better than yesterday, despite the bruising." Mary stood and walked over to her basket, squatting and removing supplies. She walked back to Edmund and knelt in front of him, looking at him for a moment with uncertainty before placing the wet cloth on the cut. "Your cut will be fine in a few days. I'm glad to see they haven't added anymore injuries since I was here last."

"Well, actually, no one has come in here since you. It's strange, but no one has even talked to me." Mary lowered the cloth and looked at him, figuring this wasn't something he would lie about, but instead worrying that her father had found out about her visit and was playing some kind of game now.

"Yes, strange." She stood back up and placed the dirty cloth back into her basket, finding another one slowly as she thought.

"Should I be worried?" He asked, leaving a long silence between them.

"You should be worried as long as you're in here. I've never witnessed the way in which prisoners are dealt with, especially in this kind of situation, and with my father having been crowned recently; I honestly don't know what will happen. Women have never been involved with political issues like this, which is why I'm not supposed to be here, and also why I don't know how to help you."

"Why do you want to help me? Sure, I didn't kill you, but I was part of an attack on your home. Shouldn't you be worried about me, about the Narnians like everyone else?"

"How can I be worried about something I don't understand?" Mary approached Edmund again with a clean cloth and sat on her knees behind him, taking hold of his shirt and then stopping, looking at the back of his head. "I need to look at—do you mind?"

"Oh, no-" he mumbled, shaking his head. Mary lifted up the back of his shirt and observed the cut, happy to find it hadn't gotten any worse and may even be looking slightly better. She still went through the process of cleaning it gently then lowered the shirt back over it, staring for a moment at how tense his muscles were under the given circumstances. There was no denying the fact that he was nervous, even scared, but his face had been hiding it well.

"Why did the Narnians attack? No one seems to be explaining this," Mary asked, remaining in place. Edmund glanced over his shoulder at her, causing her to quickly look down at her dress and nervously run her fingers over the design, knowing this was a question her father would prefer she ask him. However, lately she had been questioning the blind trust she had given her father so long, and she was intrigued to hear the boy's explanation.

"Because the Telmarines are trying to kill them. The Narnians are finally trying to fight back, but your father wants their extinction more than anything else."

"That can't be true," Mary countered, gathering her things and placing them back in the basket, standing tall but unable to keep eye contact with him. "He isn't so cruel as to wish for the extinction of anything-"

"Did you not hear him? You were in the room, you heard him asking for it-"

"But he—he just felt threatened, vulnerable in the protection of his people and he said things out of anger that I know my father could never mean. He can be harsh, as I've witnessed recently, but he isn't heartless."

"Then what do you suppose he would do if he found where we've been hiding? Do you suppose he would welcome us back to our land and offer peace? Face it Mary, he wants to kill every one of us, especially me. And I fear he will succeed if I stay here much longer without answering his questions-"

"But I won't let him." Mary seemed surprised by her own words and quickly covered her mouth as if it would help take the words back. Edmund smiled and looked down at his feet, the smile lingering on his lips. Mary quickly knocked on the door and alerted the guard that she was ready to go, rushing out of the room and scolding her own foolishness as she hurried back to her room.

* * *

"We found nothing, sir."

"Nothing? Are you all worthless? A heard of animals left no tracks? Unbelievable! Maybe you should look harder!" King Miraz shouted, throwing his glass across the room in the direction of his soldier and turning away as it shattered near the man's head. The soldier flinched and bowed, accepting the king's order and returning to the others waiting outside. "We are not safe until they're all dead, yet we can't even find them! They have to be close, but that stupid boy isn't talking and I don't know where to begin."

"Well maybe we need a different approach," his wife offered, placing her hand on his arm gently, only to be shaken off.

"You think I haven't already considered other approaches? Fear didn't seem to affect the boy, so I've allowed another emotion the chance to develop."

"You speak as if I know what you're referring to. Dear, I haven't any idea, and it worries me."

"Our daughter has taken a dangerous interest in this boy, and one of my men informed me the other day that she has actually been visiting him and caring for him. At first I thought about immediately having him executed, but then I wondered if Mary might prove to be a weakness for him—an unexpected weapon that may lead to him giving away their location without even realizing it. So I waited—but now, I see things may need to be pushed into moving faster since we aren't getting anywhere in our search and it is only a matter of time before his siblings come for him."

"And what makes you think the Narnians will risk their lives when they don't even know if he is still alive?"

"He's very important to them, my love. More important than I previously realized, so we must be even more careful than before." Miraz sat on the edge of his bed and sighed as his wife sat behind him, gently touching the side of his face.

"I don't like the idea of involving our daughter like this. Not only does it put her in danger, but she's going to get hurt if she becomes too attached."

"This is a war—sacrifices have to be made by everyone."

"I fear you have taken it too far." Miraz turned and faced his wife, holding her face in both his hands.

"These are necessary measures, and one day Mary will come to understand that. But for now, I have to ensure her safety even if it causes her pain. I need her to get to this boy in a way no one else can, and we don't have much time."

* * *

Mary sat looking in her mirror trying to pin fallen strands of hair back into their appropriate place, but she found herself unable to do so. As she dropped her arms in frustration and looked angrily at the mirror, her lady-in-waiting entered the room quickly, closing the door behind her.

"Ana, I need you," Mary said laughing, smiling appreciatively at her closest friend. Ana smiled and took the pins from Mary, twisting each strand back into its place. "Ana, is there something on your mind?" Mary watched Ana silently work, glancing up quickly upon hearing her question and pinning up the last piece of hair, moving so she stood in front of Mary's chair.

"You have to be careful."

"Excuse me?" Mary asked, caught off guard.

"You don't understand your father's true nature, and you don't know the things he has done. I wanted to tell you for some time now, but I was afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it. But I can't keep it any longer, not with everything that is happening—Mary, your father is the reason Caspian ran away." Mary's eyes widened and she stood, moving past Ana and looking her over, noting the state she was in and wondering if something had happened.

"What do you mean?"

"Mary, the King tried to have Caspian killed."

"But why?"

"Recently the doctor told the king and queen they aren't able to have anymore kids, so he knew he wouldn't have a son to be future king, and he wanted you to marry and become queen. Caspian was in the way, so he ordered for him to be killed, but Caspian escaped-"

"Ana, stop. I've heard too many things about my father today to hear this too. I know things have been kept from me since I was little, but the person people are describing my father to be isn't familiar to me. I know he has a temper sometimes, but these things—well these things are horrible!" Mary approached Ana and held both her hands, trying to feel comfort in this act. "I need some time to figure these things out on my own, okay? I'm glad you told me, but I ask that you be careful. Saying these things could have you punished as a traitor, and I couldn't bear losing you. I ask that you speak about this to no one." Ana nodded and breathed deeply, watching Mary drop her hands and turn to leave.

"Then I must ask the same of you. Mary, you have to stop seeing him. You're doing so behind your father's back—you too are in danger of being labeled a traitor." Mary stopped before her hand touched the door and looked back at Ana, worried upon seeing the deep concern on her face. Mary nodded in agreement for the sole purpose of watching the concern drain from her friend's face, knowing she couldn't keep the promise.

"I have to go now, Ana. My father gets angry when I am late for a meal. Thank you." Mary left the room, her heart racing and her mind bombarded with thoughts of her father. He had always seemed so loving, she had thought, but the image of him hitting Edmund and leading his people in the desire for bloodshed left her considering the accusation about him. She decided it was a topic she must confront with him at a better time.

* * *

She opened the door to their dining room expecting to see her parents waiting in their usual seats, but her eyes were automatically drawn to their absence and the addition of a chair across from where she sat.

"Edmund?" she whispered, looking around her and confirming they were alone. He looked quickly in her direction but didn't try to move, as if he knew something she didn't. She approached him and found that one hand was tied to the arm of the chair while the other was free, his ankles also bound to the legs of the chair. "Edmund, what are you doing in-"

"Well I invited him to eat with us." King Miraz entered the room and observed his daughter's position next to Edmund. He drew his eyebrows together for a moment then motioned for her to sit in her chair, taking a seat himself followed by Mary's mother. "He is our guest, after all, and I figured he might enjoy a meal fit for a king."

**Just to show you guys a little of my plan, the next chapter will probably be mostly about the tension that is going to go on during this meal and maybe another glimpse into how the Narnians are dealing with this issue. Next will be more focus on Edmund/Mary development and I promise they will have some closer interaction soon ;) I hope you enjoyed, please review if you can!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Oh goodness, it has no doubt been too long! I am so sorry. I have been super busy lately, but I stayed up late so I could write this. I hope you enjoy :)**

"I don't know how long he expects us to wait. He says he has a plan but really I think he is just clueless and is too afraid to appear so in front of his many loyal subjects." Peter paced before Lucy and Susan who sat upon a stone ledge, looking around for shadows that may disturb their torchlight and alert them to unwanted visitors. They sat in the room dedicated to the stone table, having barely escaped the presence of the others.

"Peter, keep quiet. That is a terrible thing to say; he's trying to help us." Susan rolled her eyes and leaned back on her palms, watching Lucy rock nervously as she mimicked her siblings' nervousness. Peter stopped with Susan's words and came closer, intimidatingly challenging her eyes as he looked at her in disbelief.

"It has been two days, Susan, and he hasn't uttered another word about this plan he claims he is working out. Two days that our brother has been sitting in that castle not knowing if we are coming to save him. Two days they could have been-" Peter stopped and glanced at Lucy who was already starting to cry. "I know he said we have to be patient, I understand that, believe me. But he is our brother, and he is in danger. I can't keep waiting for this supposed Prince to give his permission-"

"Fine, if you doubt me then go." Caspian rounded the corner and entered the room, crossing his arms stubbornly and looking at Peter. "No, really. Go. Run into the castle with that hot head of yours and get you and your brother killed, yes? Or even better, why don't you risk the lives of all these Narnians again because you don't know when to stand down, when to be patient and to wait for a better time? I'm serious, King Peter. You're they're king; do you wish to lead those who were lucky enough to survive your suicide mission into another one?"

"How dare you-" Peter's hand fell on his sword as he moved forward, but Susan quickly jumped down from where she sat and stood in front of him, pushing her hand against his chest and stopping him.

"Will you stop? Both of you," she added, addressing Caspian as well. "Do you have a plan or not?"

"I do, but before we can pursue it there is something we have to do. Actually, there's something Lucy needs to do."

* * *

Mary refused to look up from her plate, so they all remained in silence until her father spoke.

"So you've been visiting him, is that right Mary? And what exactly have these visits been about? Can you tell me anything about the Narnians' location?"

"No father, he hasn't spoken about-"

"Then what exactly has been going on Mary?" Miraz yelled, beating his fist against the table and causing Mary and her mother to flinch. Her mother tried to reach out a hand towards Miraz's arm but he quickly pushed it away, addressing his daughter once again. "Do you at least have a name?"

"Edmund!" Mary responded, finding no trouble in telling his name, but she began to question her choice when she looked up and found Edmund staring at her, a hard look on his face. She quickly averted her eyes back to her plate, having hoped to find comfort in his presence but now only feeling pulled between two sides. When she looked at her father he seemed more relaxed, leaning back in his chair and nodding.

"Very good." There was another moment of silence before the king leaned forward again, now addressing Edmund. "You see, I've done a little research. I've read a bit of Narnian history that I've seemed to neglect up to this point, and it is quite interesting. As you know, supposedly there were two kings and two queens of old that disappeared long ago; no one knew what happened to them. Some say they abandoned their people, but others say it must have been something more—what's the word? Yes, _magical_. I haven't figured that part out yet, but what I found to be the most interesting was how the kings and queens came to be. They seemed to appear as suddenly as they disappeared—no one knows where they come from. Oh, but I almost left out the most important part! They were human." Mary's eyes grew larger and studied her father, then moved to Edmund.

"Father, if you're trying to say-"

"I'm not _trying_ to say anything, my dear. What I'm saying is that boy, he's their king. Somehow he and the others came back. Now that, that information helps me." He started eating from his plate and smiled, looking up and over to Edmund who sat completely still. "Don't be rude, _king_. Eat. I know you must be hungry. We haven't fed you since you got here." Miraz continued to eat then stopped. "Unless, of course, my daughter—ah, yes, she tends to be a little too compassionate sometimes. Well go on, she couldn't have gotten much food for you. Eat." Edmund continued to stare at Miraz but refused to move, a look of hatred covering every feature of his face. "I told you to eat! I am your king, now eat!" Miraz kicked back his chair and grabbed the knife from the table, shaking it in Edmund's direction. Slowly Edmund picked up his fork and began to eat with his hand that was not tied to the chair. Miraz sat back in his seat and took a deep breath, cutting the meat on his plate and taking a bite.

"I wanted to tell you Mary, I've recruited some men who are going to watch over you from now on. The incident that happened the night of the siege was unacceptable. I don't ever want you in a vulnerable position like that again. I've enlisted two guards who will follow you wherever you go, for your safety of course."

"Is that really necessary, father? I am in no danger-"

"I won't hear it. It's been decided." Miraz waved away her question and looked at his wife who seemed unhappy, most of the food still on her plate. She looked at him sternly but he looked away. "So tell me Edmund, has my daughter worn you down? Are you ready to tell us where your friends are hiding?" There was no response. Edmund ate his food as if no one had spoken. "That's fine. I wish I had something more tempting to offer you. What is it you like, some kind of candy? What, Turkish Delight? I've never heard of it or I would try to get you some. I've heard it's good enough to make you betray even your family-"

"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!" Edmund moved quickly towards the knife that was lying on the table but the guards behind him pulled him back, pushing him hard into his chair and hitting his face with the hilt of their sword.

"Stop! Leave him alone!" Mary moved from her chair but her father quickly ordered her back in her seat, waving the guards away as Edmund looked back up, wiping a drop of blood from his lip.

"Quite the temper he has. Never mind, it's a sensitive topic I see. Maybe in time. Well anyway, I had an idea that I think might work well. Knowing of your importance now makes me nervous that one of your siblings will be coming here soon. So I wondered, where could I keep you that I would be sure you would be watched constantly? Then I realized, as long as you're with my greatest treasure, there is no chance you can escape. Mary, you wouldn't mind his company, would you? This way you wouldn't have to make a trip down to that disgusting prison, right?"

"What are you doing?" Mary's mother whispered. "You would be putting her in danger-"

"Nonsense. He didn't hurt her before, he's not going to hurt her now. Besides, they'll be followed by guards constantly. I can't help but think she'd enjoy some company besides that lady-in-waiting—Ana?"

"I wish you'd stop this."

"Mary, I think it's getting late," Miraz said, disregarding his wife's plea. "Maybe it would be best if you went on to bed now. Guards, take Edmund to the closest room. We are housing a king now. And don't worry about binding his hands anymore. He really has nowhere to go." The guards untied Edmund's wrist and ankles and pushed him to his feet so he would follow Mary. They walked out of the room and into the corridor, heading in the direction of her chamber.

As they walked Mary stayed ahead a few steps with Edmund following behind, the guards a few steps behind him.

"I'm sorry about all of this. I didn't know he was planning to do this," Mary looked over her shoulder briefly and made eye contact, quickly turning her head back around and unconsciously quickening her step.

"I don't blame you," he answered.

When she got to her room she stopped at her door and watched as Edmund was led to a nearby room. She didn't know what her father was planning, but she couldn't escape a nervous feeling that she had unwillingly become part of his plan.

**Ok, most everything has been set up now. I plan for this story to be fairly long, so it took awhile to get everything in motion. Next chapter begins the plan to save Edmund as well as some bonding time between him and Mary, you know, now that they're stuck together. Review if you'd like, I hope to update much sooner next time. Thank you :)**


	6. Chapter 6

"Edmund, are you up?" Mary asked, knocking heavily on his door, looking anxiously at the men standing nearby. She waited a moment and after hearing no response moved to knock again, but before her hand touched the door it opened. She quickly stepped back and placed her hands behind her back, waiting for the door to fully open. Edmund was wearing the same clothes and looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep. She assumed he had been pacing the whole night, checking the room for any way to get out. But she knew her father, and he was a smart man. He wouldn't put Edmund in a room if there were any way to get out.

"Of course I am." Mary hesitated as she took in his appearance, wishing he would rest so he could regain some of his strength. She understood why he wouldn't sleep—she suspected part of the reason was to spite her father, but more importantly she figured it had to do with his siblings.

"I'm going for a walk, and well, you have to come with me." Mary looked back at the men standing a few steps away, and then addressed Edmund again. "Looks like you could use the fresh air. Come on." Without waiting for a response she turned to leave, stopping momentarily to make sure he followed. Edmund sighed and stepped forward, the guards following behind him.

* * *

"So tell me, love. Have you thought that maybe as our daughter grows closer to this young man, the more she will care about him? And the more she cares about him and starts to see the Narnians as he does, the more detached she will become from her own people?" The king looked up from his papers and over at his wife who was looking out the window. He smiled as he pushed his chair back and approached her, seeing the view that had caused her to question him. Mary and Edmund were walking side by side through the courtyard, Mary smiling as Edmund was moving his hands and speaking. Miraz placed his hands on his wife's shoulders and moved his hand down her arm to hold her hand. "Don't you think the more she cares, the more likely it is that she will help him?"

"My dear, there is one thing I'm counting on in our daughter. We've kept her sheltered for sixteen years—sixteen years of solitude besides the servants and ourselves. This, this is a taste of a world she's only dreamed of, and I truly believe there is nothing inside of her that is willing to let that go. I'm counting on our daughter's selfishness to keep that boy here no matter what it takes. She believes she has a chance of discovering a world as magical as Narnia, but even more powerful than that, she believes she has a chance to discover _love_. The closer those two become, the more difficult it will be for him to escape." Miraz smiled and kissed the top of his wife's head, looking back at the scene in front of them and feeling a sense of accomplishment.

"And in the process you are playing with her emotions? And what happens when we destroy the Narnians, if your plan goes accordingly of course? Are you going to let him live so our daughter will be happy? Even if you do, he will never be here peacefully if he is the last one left. You've truly destroyed our child." She pulled herself away from his hold and moved to the other side of the room, crossing her arms and hiding the tears as they fell down her cheek.

"I've made the necessary sacrifices as any king would. And as far as I'm concerned, every Narnian will die, including that boy. Whether he be the first or the last will be decided in time."

* * *

"He sounds amazing, truly. And you say your sister thought she saw him? He's still out there?" Mary refused to take her eyes off of Edmund as he spoke of Aslan, a creature she found to be both beautiful and terrifying, but she had to know more.

"Yes, but no one would believe her. I did, of course. Lucy's been doubted too many times, and too many times she's been right when no one listened. She's proven me to be a fool before, so I'm determined not to act like one again."

"Very wise. Your sister sounds like she is underestimated because of her age, but she seems to know more than the people older than her." Edmund smiled in agreement then looked forward, his smile fading.

"I'm sorry if it's too painful to talk about them." Mary wished there was something she could do to comfort him, but she knew what he wanted was more than she could do without becoming a traitor to her people. She noticed how he constantly scanned the tree line they were approaching then gaged the distance of the trees and the distance of the guards. As he got quiet and became more focused, she grew nervous that he would try something that would lead to him getting hurt. She knew there was no way he could get to the woods before being stopped, whether he was physically blocked by the guards following or stopped with an arrow.

"Don't be stupid," she whispered, catching his attention. She became unsettled by his threatening gaze, hoping he knew that she wasn't trying to stop him, but instead warn him. She raised her eyebrows and looked past him to the nearby tower. He looked in the same direction, carefully observing the windows at the top. He focused until he noticed archers sitting in the windows, their bows already loaded. "You're not going to be able to do it alone," she said, continuing to keep her voice low.

"Are you trying to suggest something?" With his question Mary understood the choice she was going to have to make, and she would have to make it soon. Helping this boy seemed so innocent in a moment like this, but it was what would come after that would weigh much heavier. Her heart quickened and she suddenly felt cornered, torn between what she wanted to do and what she was expected to do. She could be killed for even considering helping Edmund escape.

"No, it was just a fact." She slowly allowed a larger distance to increase between the two, walking faster to avoid any look that may have come to his face.

"Wait, that's not true!" He caught up to her easily, trying to step in front of her and block her path. He moved too quickly and she ran into him, falling backwards but fighting for balance by grabbing the front of his shirt while he moved his hands to her back to help stabilize her. When she looked up their faces were almost touching. She knew she needed to move away, but she had never experienced something like this. She had never been so close to someone to be able to feel their breath like this, or had someone's arms supporting her.

"Hands off!" One of the guards tore her away from him while another hit him in the stomach, causing him to fall to his knees. He was then pushed farther so that he was forced to lay flat on the ground, his cheek pressed against the grass and his arms pulled forcefully behind his back. Mary smacked away the hands of the guard until he let her go.

"He was helping me so I didn't fall! Let go of him, back away!" She shooed the other guard away and knelt beside Edmund. "Are you alright?" Edmund reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to his face.

"You have to help me."

**Will she help him? Next chapter the first part of their plan to get him back is put into action, and how will Mary play a part in it? Review if you'd like, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you keep reading :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"Has our young king given away the location of which rocks his people are hiding under?" Miraz addressed his daughter as she placed her fork beside her empty plate.

"No, and I don't believe he is going to any time soon." Mary looked at her father with a look of defiance, pushing her chair away from the table and standing. Edmund had been taken back to his chambers to eat alone as her father had not allowed him to eat with them again. Mary couldn't help but feel slightly satisfied by the thought that Edmund might in some ways intimidate her father.

"Well have you asked?" Mary knew her people were growing anxious by all the dead ends her father's men were coming too, unable to hide that they were completely clueless in regards to the whereabouts of the Narnians. They had hidden for so long before now; she wondered why her father continued to underestimate them. His question only confirmed the severity of his disquietude. He was becoming desperate.

"Of course I haven't asked him. You honestly believe he would give his people up that easily?"

"Maybe if you tried harder. Are you even trying to help _your_ people?"

"I don't know how to," Mary admitted. Her father leaned back in his chair and nodded, folding his hands and placing them under his chin. Suddenly he moved forward, as if something had just come to mind, and he smiled.

"Would you like to know how _I_ helped my people? During the invasion, when we started to close the gates and the Narnians decided to fall back a little too late, not all of them made it out before the creature standing between the gate and the ground fell, riddled with arrows."

"Father, stop-"

"The other creatures climbed over each other reaching their arms outside of the gate, begging that their kings and queens return for them. We lined up behind them, all my men, and they killed every one of them. I could have let them live if I really wanted to, but I didn't. I ordered that every one of them be slaughtered so I could be certain they would no longer threaten the safety of my people. I chose my people over them, do you understand? It may sound cruel and unfair, but as a king that is the kind of choice I have to make. I ask of you the same." Mary's eyes were wet with tears but she willed herself to keep calm, as this was a pinnacle moment in the game she found herself playing and it was time she chose a side. She looked her father in the eye and nodded slowly. "Go," he whispered harshly.

* * *

Mary rushed down the hallway, indifferent to the guards following her footsteps. When she got to Edmund's door she knocked loudly, impatiently waiting for his response. When he opened the door it seemed as though he may have fallen asleep for a moment, but he quickly brushed through this hair with his fingers and rubbed at his eyes trying to appear more awake.

"Come with me, please."

* * *

Lucy returned to the small dugout beneath the hill and dismounted her horse, immediately running to her brother and sister who pulled her in for a hug.

"Tell me everything, Lucy," Caspian said from where he sat, placing his lantern out in front of him so everyone could be seen.

"He's alive, and he looks well! I couldn't believe it, but he was out walking and his hands weren't even tied."

"Are saying he was walking alone, by his own free will-" Caspian started, immediately suspicious.

"No, nothing like that! There were guards walking behind him, only two that I could see. But what was so strange was that he was walking beside a girl. She looked to be his own age." Lucy couldn't stop smiling as she spoke about her brother. Furthermore, she finally felt a part of the group due to the important role she had been asked to play. Caspian had urged that Lucy get closer to investigate since she was not at the siege and therefore would not be easily recognized as a Narnian. If she were caught, he figured they wouldn't be as suspicious of her since she was only a young girl, and therefore her situation would be less dire than if they had caught Caspian, Peter, or Susan. Peter had argued, of course, but he too was forced to accept that it had to be Lucy.

"This girl—would you say she was a servant or someone of lower class-"

"No, not at all! She was beautiful, dressed like a princess! When she fell and Edmund caught her, the guards immediately stopped him. They were actually very rough." Lucy's smile faded as she remembered her brother being pinned to the ground. "But she defended him. She seemed too nice to be a Telmarine."

"Mary," Caspian muttered, looking down at his feet and scratching his head. "Lucy, can you describe her?"

"Oh, of course! She had lovely, long brown hair. I wasn't close enough to see her eye color or many other features, but she was a little shorter than Edmund. There's really not much else I can tell you, I wasn't able to get very close I'm afraid."

"Caspian, do you know this girl? Do you know why she would be with him?" Peter addressed Caspian who was thinking to himself, his eyebrows pulled together.

"It would have to be Mary, but that doesn't make any sense."

"Who is Mary?" Susan asked, stepping closer so she could better see his face.

"She's Miraz's daughter, but he keeps her very sheltered. I remember when we were kids I crossed her path once. She was playing outside alone, so I approached her and asked if I could play with her. We agreed to play tag, but within seconds of us starting the game someone came out and took her away, said her father didn't want us playing together. I haven't seen her but in passing since then. That's why I can't make sense of Miraz letting her be near Edmund."

"Well maybe it's someone else. It's beside the point anyway. If Lucy could go back tomorrow and see if they walk that same way, then we have a way to get him out. The next day we will be ready when they come by-" Peter started, but Caspian cut him off.

"In daylight? Miraz will have arrows shot through all of us if we step right out into the open."

"Well why don't we just see if they walk the same way first and then we can decide how we want to do it. I don't see any better options right now, do you?" Peter snapped.

"Fine. Lucy, would you be okay with going again tomorrow?"

"I'd be happy to. Anything to get Edmund back."

"Then I suggest now we rest. Susan and I can go back to the hideout tomorrow if we aren't needed so we can get the others back in order. You did well today Lucy." Caspian patted Lucy's back and disappeared into the dugout, extinguishing his lantern once he had settled. The others followed behind

* * *

"What's going on? Did something happen?" Edmund hurried behind Mary as they walked the same way they had earlier, this time closer to the trees. She ignored his questions and kept walking, focused as if looking for something. Suddenly she stopped, motioning for Edmund to walk in front of her. She turned around and looked at the guards, putting out her hand. "Some distance, please." The guards looked unsure as to whether they should stop where they were, but they did. Mary turned back towards Edmund then sat down, him doing the same.

"My father told me what happened to the Narnians that didn't make it out the gate in time. I can't defend him anymore. Everything that has happened has truly made him a monster-"

"Mary, what did he do?" She stopped speaking and looked at him sympathetically, not having considered that he didn't know what had happened outside during the siege. She regretted saying anything, but it was too late.

"He killed them, Edmund. He killed them all. They were stuck, lined up against the gate, no longer fighting—but he-" She saw the anger build in Edmund's eyes and reached out to touch his hand, putting her hand up when she heard the guards trying to move forward. They backed away immediately, quietly whispering to each other. "My father is a monster. I barely even recognize him anymore. You have to go."

"And you're going to help me?" Mary nodded as she revealed a piece of paper.

"It has to be in your handwriting."

"What has to be, exactly?"

"I think someone has been nearby very recently. I heard some guards talking about a girl on a horse, but they were very vague. They said they saw her riding away, but they were unclear where she came from or where she was going. They didn't seem too concerned, said she was a younger girl, but I am convinced it may have been your sister, which means she might come back. As of now, I think your only way out is through trying to contact her. I'm going to ask my lady-in-waiting to look for a response tomorrow night, and if there is confirmation that they are ready, you will leave the next night, through the woods when the archers cannot see you." Edmund looked at Mary in disbelief, taking the paper from her hand.

"So what am I to say?"

"Tell them you are alright. Tell them to write back and leave a note in the same place so we know to move ahead with the plan. Write that in two nights I will take you to the tree line, although first we will have to ditch the guards, and you'll run. You'll keep running until you find one of them, and then it is up to them from there. Well go ahead, start writing." He kept looking at her as she averted her eyes, picking the grass around her dress. It was obvious she was uncomfortable with what she was doing, possibly ready to second guess herself, so he started writing. "Oh, and anything else you may want your family to know. I'm sure they've been waiting to hear from you." They sat in silence as he wrote, looking up every now and then to look at Mary who was staring at him intently, nervously playing with her fingers, then moving her hair away from her face.

"Finished. Now what?"

"Now give it to me. My lady-in-waiting will bring it here tonight while the castle sleeps. She will not be questioned for coming outside." Edmund stood and put his hand out, clasping Mary's and pulling her up swiftly. She felt the paper in her hand and started to pull away, but Edmund did not let go.

"I cannot thank you enough-"

"Please, I just—I just want my father back." She hid the paper in her coats and looked back up.

"Do you really think this will do that?"

"I have to try."

**Yay to long chapter and quick update! I am soooo excited for the next chapter, which I will try to update quickly as well. Will Mary stay behind with her father, or is something going to push her into leaving with Edmund? You'll have to wait to see :) Well, anyways, thanks everyone for the positive reviews! They are extremely encouraging and they really do help motivate me, so please keep reading and keep reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

"You're going to help him escape? Mary, have you really thought this through-"

"Yes, Ana, I have. I have been thinking of nothing but this for so long that it has consumed me, and it's time I actually do something. I am being watched every hour of my day. I can't take this out there, so you have to. I know I'm asking for a lot, but he can't stay here any longer." Ana sat at the end of Mary's bed and held the sealed letter in her hand, looking back to her friend with pleading eyes.

"As your servant, if you order me-"

"I would do no such thing. I'm simply asking that you do a favor, for if it is not you I will find someone else."

"Mary, this would make you a traitor. It would make me a traitor-"

"I've been threatened with that word before. It seems if I do anything of my own accord I am immediately a traitor to my people. I cannot promise that him leaving will truly fix anything here, and I cannot be sure that we will not face violence again with his departure, but there is no doubt in my mind that the things my father has been telling me are not all true, so now I have to decide on my own what is right." Mary sat beside Ana on the bed and held her hand gently. "I know I am being selfish by asking you to do this, but I am not sure who I can trust." Ana squeezed Mary's hand and smiled.

"Are you going with him?" Mary took a deep breath and stood up, walking away from the bed and turning her back to Ana. It was something that had certainly crossed her mind, but there were too many things holding her back for her to actually consider something so drastic. It would take a substantial push to send her running with the young king of Narnia, and she could not imagine anything that could do so.

"You know nothing about this boy or the world he comes from; I cannot understand why you are so drawn to him—drawn to helping him. But I trust you, and I trust your instinct, so I will take the letter for you and I will check for a response tomorrow night." Ana stood and approached Mary, holding the letter up in front of her then concealing it within her coat. Mary understood the promise in her gesture and pulled the girl into a hug, sighing in relief.

"And I shall owe you my life."

"I would never ask that of you. I would never want that debt." The two women nodded in understanding of the nature of their relationship, Mary suddenly feeling guilty for the task being requested as she watched her dearest friend leave, fearful that in Ana's mind she accepted the request as a servant more so than a friend. So as Mary attempted to fall asleep that night, she prayed that she had made the right choice in deciding to let Edmund go.

* * *

It would be their final walk together. It would be Mary's last chance to discover some of the world her father had kept hidden from her for so long, and she wanted to take advantage of every second. She imagined that once Edmund was gone, her life would return to the monotonous routine of being alone and walled in, although now with a war being waged against the Narnians, there were more possibilities than before.

She had listened to Edmund speak about all the magnificent creatures, about his years at Cair Paravel, and about his siblings and how they would often get on his nerves, but she could hear the tenderness in his voice even then and she knew he loved them and would sacrifice everything for them.

"So how exactly did you manage to become a king so young?"

"Well, that was Aslan's choice. He couldn't stay in Narnia any longer, so he wanted that my siblings and I take the responsibility of guiding and protecting its people."

"It must have been an honor to have been chosen by someone as divine as Aslan."

"It was the greatest honor I have ever known. I owe everything to him." Mary smiled, almost jealous that Edmund knew someone who deserved such loyalty. Seeing how Edmund spoke of the lion allowed her to come to a new understanding of the Narnians and the reason they fought. It seemed so noble in comparison to the Telmarines, as she did not even know their purpose for such hatred for the Narnians.

"You know so much about me now, yet I barely even know who you are besides the daughter of the king."

"That's an identity I'd prefer to escape," Mary admitted, looking up at the window where she almost expected her father to be watching them from.

"So then show me a new one." Mary stopped walking and looked at Edmund—really looked at him. There was a moment of panic within her as she felt the desperation of needing to remember everything about him in that moment so when he was gone she could still remember him and he wouldn't become only a temporary dream.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm just thinking. I've never been asked that question before. I guess I've never really considered who I am apart from my title. In truth, I've never been beyond the castle—I don't know what's beyond those woods. The most exciting thing that has ever happened to me was the night I ran into you."

"No wonder you looked so lost. I must have really frightened you."

"Maybe initially, but more than anything you confused me. But believe me, if I could go back to that moment, I wouldn't have screamed. I would have let you go help your brother and I would have let you escape."

"Well that can't be helped now. Your instinct was to scream, you couldn't be blamed for that." Mary looked down at her feet and started walking forward again, stopping again when they were near where she knew the letter would be waiting. Edmund walked forward a few steps before realizing Mary had stopped. He then stopped and turned around so they faced each other.

"She agreed to hide the letter where your sister should be able to find it. She will return tonight to see if there is a response and if so she will bring it to me. If our plan is able to move forward, I will come talk to you in the morning briefly, but that will be our only interaction of the day. The rest of the day I will make final preparations for your departure, including a way to escape the guards. At the same time, it has to seem as though I am not involved and that you managed to escape on your own. I could not face my father if he knew of my involvement."

"He is bound to suspect something. Have you considered coming with me?" Mary was not surprised by his offer, and she couldn't ignore the quickening of her heart at the thought of running away with him. However, she was bound to the castle and couldn't bring herself to leave its treacherous comfort. Furthermore, she loved her father, and though she had been introduced to a horrific side of him brought out by rage, she had managed to convince herself that he could return to the loving man he was before the war with the Narnians.

So although she knew she couldn't leave with him, Mary smiled at the thought. She closed the distance between the two and stood on her tiptoes, holding his face in her hands and tenderly kissing his cheek.

"Oh how I wish I could," she whispered, lingering near his face before backing away, noticing that the guards had come closer.

"Princess," one of the guards stated.

"I know, I know. No physical contact," she replied, smiling at him as she took Edmund's arm in hers and continued their last walk together.

* * *

"He's got a way out!" Lucy yelled, riding in on her horse, Peter jumping up to help her dismount.

"What do you mean he's got a way out, Lu?" Peter asked, as her feet hit the ground.

"I mean he left us a letter! I found it-"

"But Lucy, how do you know-"

"_Because_, it's in _his_ handwriting! He said tomorrow night he will come to the tree line and run through the woods until he runs into one of us. She's going to help him, that girl I saw with him! And you wouldn't believe what she did today! She kissed him!" Lucy said giggling.

"She kissed him?" Susan asked in disbelief, unable to imagine a girl showing such interest in her younger brother.

"Well, it was on the cheek, but still! You should have seen him, he didn't even know what to do!"

"Sure sounds like him," Peter added, smiling at Lucy. "But how do we know that we can trust this girl? She could be fooling him, fooling all of us. Are you not the least bit worried that she knew one of us was watching?"

"Do we really have another choice, Peter? This sounds like our only chance of getting our brother back." Susan shrugged when Peter looked at her.

"Anyway, the letter asked for a response so I already put that we would be ready." Lucy watched her brother to see if she had done the right thing, but he was looking away deep in thought.

"Fine, then this is what we are going to do. Susan, go find Caspian and the two of you and Lucy head back to the hideout. Everyone back there needs some guidance before they go crazy. There's no reason that all of us should be in danger, so I'll stay and wait for Edmund in the woods and once I have him we'll head back. Lucy, can you ride with Susan so I'll have a horse for Edmund?" Lucy nodded silently and looked to Susan who obviously disagreed with Peter staying back alone, but she understood and decided in that moment not to argue.

* * *

"Come in," Mary called from her bed as she read a book. When she looked up and saw Ana, she slammed the book shut and sat on the end of her bed anxiously, looking for the letter in Ana's hand. "Was there a reply?"

"Yes, signed Lucy." Mary jumped from the bed and took the note from her hand, reading the simple, "we'll be waiting," scribbled on the back.

"Perfect!"

"Mary, I think someone saw me."

"I'm sure you're just paranoid, I wouldn't worry."

"I'm serious Mary, I think someone was watching me."

"Nonsense. If someone saw you they would have intercepted the note before you brought it to me. And look, just to be safe-" Mary took the letter and dropped it in the fire, watching it until it was nothing but ash. "No evidence."

"Mary-"

"Ana!" Mary held both her hands as she spoke to her. "Everything is going to be okay. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done." She hugged her tightly and said goodnight, relieved that her plan had worked.

That night, sleep did not find her easily as she lay awake in anticipation of the excitement the next day now promised. However, her excitement soon exhausted her and her eyelids became heavy with sleep, so she closed her eyes and welcomed the rest she knew she needed.

* * *

The next morning Mary woke slowly, the sleep having transformed the excitement she felt the night before into dread. She struggled with these nerves as she lay in her bed until she noticed that a person was sitting in the chair near her mirror.

"Ana?" she asked, sitting up and swinging her legs out of her bed. "Why are you here? Has something happened?" After there was no response Mary became worried and threw her covers away from her, approaching her silent friend and placing a hand on her shoulder. Her hand brushed against Ana's neck and she pulled away quickly in horror, noticing how cold her skin felt. "Ana?" she asked again, scared as she slowly moved so she would be in front of her. Mary covered her mouth and fell back against her table, a terrible scream breaking through the barrier she had tried to form with her hand. Ana's face was pale and motionless, and it was evident to Mary that her friend was dead.

**Whoa! Did that surprise you? And who killed her? Do you think you know? Also, how does this affect the plan? Well, the next chapter will probably be about as long as this one, so all your questions will be answered :) Let me know what you think about the direction of the story so far! I would also like to take a moment to thank narnias no.1fan! You have commented on every chapter, and it's nice to know you're still interested in the story. Thanks for your encouragement!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Death by poisoning. How tragic." Miraz motioned for the guards to take the body from the table where Ana had been examined by the doctor. Mary sat in a chair in front of her, her eyes looking at the body but not focused. She did not move when the body was taken away, but sat completely still, her hands gripping the arms of the chair. "Now Mary, this obvious breach in your security is worrying. The guards were found dead outside your door, although their death was much more brutal than-"

"Miraz, stop. She does not need to hear such details while she is in mourning." Mary's mother knelt in front of her daughter, pulling her hands from the chair and holding them in her lap.

"Speaking of which, don't you think the clothing is a bit dramatic my dear. Mourning clothes for a servant—it's just not sound."

"Stop being so insensitive Miraz! It was traumatizing, and you know as well as I that Ana was not only a servant but also Mary's closest companion," the queen scolded, frustrated with the king's casual attitude. Miraz approached Mary, looking at his wife for a moment until she stood and moved away. He took her place and held Mary's hands, thinking for a moment before he spoke.

"Are you aware of what she was doing the last time you saw her? Did she seem, worried about something?" Mary came out of her trance and looked into her father's eyes. "I only ask because I was told that she had been acting strangely, moving about the castle in a… deceitful way. I was told she had made a few trips into the woods, looking around her as she went as if paranoid. As you know, with a war very close to us emotions and tensions are running high, especially with that boy in our castle. If someone may have been suspicious of her loyalty, if she were suspected to be a traitor, they may have killed her in order to save their people. If that is the case, I can't help but not be angry. Traitors are not tolerated, and I would hate to think your friend died one." In that moment, Mary's father spoke a language only Mary understood, and they were the only two in the room. Mary's eyes searched her father's face, but it had changed. He had provided her with a confession and a warning that left him with no guilt or regret. She believed herself to be the only one who could see the blood covering her father's hands—the blood of her friend, although she suspected he had not been the one to actually carry out the act. She realized too that he must have had the guards killed as well to provide a cover-up, and the blood she saw on his hands spread over his whole body until he had become completely unrecognizable. Her mother was ignorant of the change that had taken place within her father, and so she would act ignorant as well.

"I did not notice a change in her behavior, but I do hope she did not die a traitor. She was always so loyal; it's hard to believe anything would cause her to stray. Since I cannot believe she was a traitor and therefore I am left with no justification for her murder, who do you think is responsible?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if the boy-"

"That's impossible. His door is locked from the outside. Even without the guards escape is hopeless. Anyway, if he had managed to get out, he would not still be here."

"You are right, my brilliant girl. Well, if it makes you feel safer, I have already replaced your guards and I will have some of my men look into the details around the young lady's death. I am proud of how strong you are being, but maybe it would be for the best if you did not visit with the prisoner today. I think you may need to rest and allow yourself some time to mourn if this girl really did mean that much to you."

"And she did. Yes father, I think it best also if I retire to my room for the day. And please, find whoever did this." Mary closed her eyes as the king kissed her forehead. He then stood and stepped aside so she could leave the room. The moment she left and was out of the king's sight, she backed up against a wall and covered her mouth to muffle the sobs she could no longer suppress. Immediately she thought of Edmund, remembering that the plan still had to continue, but there were some changes that had to be accounted for.

* * *

"Tell me what happened!" Edmund yelled, banging on his door that had remained closed all day. "I know I heard a scream this morning! Where's Mary; is she okay?"

"Shut up boy!" one of the guards finally snapped, his patience crumbling after listening to Edmund all day. There was silence for a moment, but soon after Edmund spoke again.

"I don't recognize your voice. You must be a different guard. What happened to the other? Was he killed? Where is Mary? Is she okay?" Edmund began hitting the door again. The guard grumbled and took the key from his belt, turning towards the door.

"What are you doing?" the other guard asked, putting his arm out to stop the man from progressing.

"I've had it with this nuisance. I'm not going to kill him, I'm just going to shut him up-"

"I swear if you touch him I will have you killed instantly." Mary hurried down the hallway and stood in front of the two men, crossing her arms and glaring. The man removed the key from the door and sighed in defeat, returning to position. "Now let me in."

"You cannot go in there alone-"

"I asked you to let me in. That is an order, and since you have been assigned as my guards for my protection, you take orders from me. So let me in this instant or I will have you both killed without another thought." The two men looked at each other and then back at Mary who stood her ground firmly, a look in her eyes that promised she would follow through. The one with the key turned and unlocked the door, motioning for her to enter. "Thank you." When she stepped in the door she immediately pressed her hand against Edmund's chest and pushed. "Step back so they cannot hear." He took a few steps back and once he stopped he looked at Mary's eyes.

"Have you been crying-" Mary rushed to him, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head against his chest, unable to control the tears she had to hide from her father.

"He killed her. He killed my best friend. I found her this morning in my room-"

"The scream," Edmund said, understanding the horror behind it. His face showed a mixture of confusion and disgust, and he finally put his arms around her and held her tightly.

"He knew she was helping somehow, but he didn't know anything else." Mary pulled away from him and looked up, quickly wiping the tears from her face. "He is a monster. I have tried to defend him before, give reason behind his actions as if it makes it any better, but I can't anymore. He killed her! And as if that were not sick enough, he had her placed in my room to find! He has lost all his humanity and killed one of our own. It's true—no one is safe here. I did not let him know that I was aware he was behind Ana's death, but he practically told me. I think he wanted me to know, like a warning. But now it is vital that we leave tonight-"

"We?" Edmund asked, searching Mary's face.

"I can't stay here. I can't sit to eat every night with that murderer. Whenever he is near me, moves to kiss my face, simply looks at me, I fear. He has given me the only true reason I needed to leave. He can no longer be saved." Edmund smiled, quickly hiding it so he didn't appear insensitive.

"So then there was a reply?" Mary nodded, her eyes tearing up again.

"And we will leave as planned—tonight. We will leave this place and never look back-" Mary choked on a sob as she struggled to breathe, her chest heaving as she lowered herself to the ground.

"Mary, Mary calm down. Breathe," Edmund said as he followed her, trying to get her to look at him.

"I'm actually leaving. But what if we don't make it? What if we get stopped? My father would kill me, now I'm sure of it. He _told_ me that traitors are not tolerated. I am a traitor—heart and soul I am a traitor."

"What can I say to help calm you? You're not breathing well." Mary's hand fell over her chest as she tried to catch her breath and her eyes looked to Edmund in panic.

"How is your back?"

"My back?"

"Yes, your back. How is it? I only checked it twice—it's been days. You know, where they hit you-"

"Oh, right. I haven't even thought about it, really. It doesn't hurt, but I can't see how it looks."

"Well, I'll have to check it after we leave. Make sure it's healing right and all. Speaking of leaving, we should do it now." Mary seemed extremely flustered as she stood and pulled Edmund up, but her breathing had begun to steady with the brief distraction.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not, but we have to leave now because you have to get back to your family and I have to get away from here. It's dark out, most of the castle should be sleeping; we have to leave now. I'm just not sure how to get past the guards." Edmund looked around the room in thought, his eyes lighting up as he walked away from Mary.

"I have an idea, but my guess is you're not going to like it." His fingers wrapped around a candlestick sitting on a table and he turned back towards Mary.

"Things have changed, Edmund. Whatever it takes."

* * *

"I'm coming out." Mary opened the door carefully and slowly walked out, keeping her eyes on the guards.

"Is everything okay?" One of them asked.

"Actually, it's not." She moved away from the door and in front of them so their backs turned towards the door. She watched as the one fumbled to detach the keys from his belt in order to lock the door, but he was distracted by her anger and had trouble finding it. "Tell me, has he been fed at all today, or have the two of you just been standing out here doing literally nothing-" Before the men could fully turn to see Edmund coming out the door, he had already hit one in the back of the head and watched as he fell. Within seconds, Edmund pulled the sword from the fallen guard's hilt while the other pulled his own sword, the two facing each other prepared to fight.

"Princess, go tell someone the prisoner has escaped." He broke eye contact with Edmund and looked at Mary in confusion when he noticed she hadn't moved. Edmund took the opportunity to knock the sword out of his hand and pushed him against the wall, knocking him out.

"Thank you for not killing him," Mary said, getting Edmund's attention. "I think I overestimated my anger. It hasn't made me heartless enough to actually want someone's death, and I'm happy to know the same can be said for you." Edmund nodded and took hold of her upper arm, rushing her down the hallway and pulling her back when they got to the corner, checking to make sure it was clear.

"From here, if we go down those stairs we will be outside, which means we will be out in the open. We won't be able to carry a torch so it will be completely dark, but that also helps our chances of avoiding the archers."

"Let's do it." Edmund let go of her arm and checked around the corner once again before running towards the stairs, Mary following closely behind. They descended the stairs quickly and could then see the tree line. Edmund motioned for her to stop. "I think we've gone unnoticed. I don't hear yelling or bells or anything, but I'm not sure how long that will last. Once we run into those woods, there's no turning back."

"I will follow you." Edmund looked at her for a few seconds but saw no lingering doubt, so they ran.

Once they reached the woods, they found themselves in complete darkness, the trees' canopy blocking any moonlight that had previously kept them in each others' sights. Mary slowed down as she began to feel that Edmund was no longer near, and though she reached around her in hopes of finding him, she ran into nothing but trees.

"Edmund?" she whispered, caught in complete silence. As her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, she noticed an area where the leaves were thinner and light from the moon had managed to come through. She hoped if she got there she would have better luck finding Edmund. "Edmund!" she shouted a little louder, walking slowly towards the area of light. As she got closer, she found herself suddenly being pulled by an arm around her waist and a cold blade pressing against her throat.

"I swear, if you speak I will-" Mary quickly kicked the person behind her and felt herself fall to the ground, twigs and leaves sticking into her hair as she stumbled away.

"Edmund!" she yelled as loudly as she could, moving closer to the area of light. She was soon drawn backwards again, an arm tight around her waist and the knife returning to her throat. She tried to pull the arm away but it stayed firmly in place.

"Mary!" Edmund broke through the brush directly in front of her with his sword out in front. However, upon seeing her he slowly lowered his sword. "Peter?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry this chapter took so long! I got busy all of a sudden. Well, thanks for all the reviews guys, they were very encouraging :) And here is the next chapter!**

"Obviously she can't come with us. Have you lost your mind?"

"Have you lost yours? Obviously she can't go back. She's a traitor because of me." Mary watched as Peter and Edmund faced each other yelling, feeling useless as the two brothers argued to determine her fate.

"Listen, I get that she helped you and all, but how do you know this isn't a trap? Miraz would do anything to find where we're hiding. What if she," Peter said, looking over to Mary and pointing. "What if she is his plan? His next move? What if she leads the Telmarines right to us?"

"I wouldn't let that happen-"

"You wouldn't have any control over what happened!"

"I just wish you would stop treating me like a child and acting like I don't know what I'm doing. Aslan didn't name just you king-"

"Well he recognized me as the high king because he knew better than any other that you weren't ready to be a leader. You don't know what you're doing because you never _think_, you just act and you leave everyone else to fix your mistakes."

"Oh, and like you never make mistakes! You might think you're perfect, being the high king and all, but have you forgotten that we weren't the ones who saved Narnia from the white witch? That was Aslan. We are nothing without him, so stop acting like you know what you're doing. Like any of us know what we're doing! If we did, all those Narnians wouldn't have gotten trapped and killed back there-"

"You weren't even there!" Peter yelled, pushing Edmund back. Edmund and Peter stared at each other in silence for a moment before Edmund started moving forward, but Mary decided to intervene and placed her hand on Edmund's chest, pushing him back and blocking him as she turned to face Peter.

"You don't understand, if I go back my father will kill me just like he killed my friend. I can't go back; I don't want to." Peter looked at Mary and then past her at Edmund.

"No, that's not my problem." Peter grabbed Mary's arm and started walking, pulling her behind him.

"Peter, stop! You're not giving her a fair chance-"

"Oh really? This friend she mentioned, the one her father killed, did you actually see her?"

"No," Edmund responded, catching up to Peter and standing in front of him. "So what?"

"How do you know it really happened? How can you be sure it wasn't part of some plan Miraz had made to convince you that she needed to leave? Huh?" Peter tried to move past Edmund but he stepped in his way again.

"I heard her scream. It was real. There was no way it was just part of a plan to fool me-"

"Edmund, she can't be trusted. We have no reason-"

"She saved me! Is that not enough? She's the only reason I'm standing in front of you now and you're trying to take her back? She had no reason to believe we could be trusted when she left, but she came anyway. Don't make her wrong." Peter's grip slowly loosened until he pulled her forward and pushed her towards Edmund, turning around and walking back the way they had come.

"Then she's your responsibility."

"Come on," Edmund whispered, taking her hand and helping to lead her as they found their way in the dark, coming across strips of moonlight that only showed Mary the tension the two brothers had caused each other, which was evident on their faces.

"Where are we going?" Edmund asked after they had been walking for a while, although the darkness left Mary unsure about how far they had really traveled.

"It shouldn't be much farther. Somewhere up ahead I have our horses tied to a tree. We can ride them back to the hideout. I only brought two since I wasn't expecting any guests, but I assume there will be no problem with you sharing yours." Edmund kept quiet as they continued to walk, trying to prevent another fight.

"There they are," Peter stated, directing Edmund and Mary to the horses. He took out a knife, catching Edmund's attention, but put his hand up before he was questioned. He used the knife to make a tear in his shirt and then ripped it the rest of the way, folding it and handing it to Edmund.

"If she's coming, blindfold her."

"You can't be serious, Pete."

"I am serious. It's either this or we treat her like a prisoner when we get back. If she wears a blindfold then we can be sure she doesn't know how to get back to the castle and tell them how to find us. It's the only way she's coming."

"This is ridiculous! You can't-"

"Edmund, it's okay," Mary spoke up, touching his arm and nodding. "If that's what it takes, to me it is nothing. Like I said before, whatever it takes."

"You heard her. Tie it on; make sure she can't see." Edmund looked at the cloth in his hands and then at Mary who closed her eyes. He stepped behind her and pulled the cloth over her eyes, tying it in the back. "Help her get on the horse and then we can leave." Peter placed his foot in the stirrup and jumped onto the horse's back, keeping the reigns tight so it didn't move. Edmund got on his horse then reached down for Mary's hand, pulling her up behind him. Peter kicked his horse forward once he saw that she was settled, Edmund kicking his to follow. As it jolted forward, Mary pulled herself close to Edmund by wrapping her arms around his middle in order to keep her balance.

"Have you ever been on a horse?" Edmund asked when he noticed she didn't loosen her grip.

"No, and I can't say the blindfold makes it easier."

"Right." Edmund kicked the horse again to catch up with Peter, the sudden movement causing Mary to grip him tighter.

* * *

Edmund kept his horse behind Peter's, neither of them speaking a word. The quiet and the dark, as well as the steady movement of the horse, slowly reminded Mary of her exhaustion, emotionally and physically. She wasn't sure how long they would have to travel, but after about an hour she gave up trying to stay awake. She carefully rested her head against Edmund's back and allowed herself to fall asleep, forgetting for a moment the anxiety she had at the thought of meeting, but more importantly seeing, the Narnians. She remembered her reaction when she first saw the creatures from her window, and how she had been so terrified she felt sick. She couldn't act that way this time, or they all may reject her as quickly as Peter had. She was a Telmarine, and they hated the Telmarines.

Edmund knew Mary had fallen asleep; he noticed when her hands didn't hold onto him as tightly and her weight became heavier against his back. He glanced behind him to make sure they weren't being followed, taking the opportunity to look at Mary too. Sleeping she seemed peaceful, but Edmund feared he had gotten her caught up in the middle of a war she would soon have to face, and he hoped she would be able to give her loyalty to a world she had only heard of days before.

* * *

"You said he escaped? Is he being followed?" Miraz stuck the tip of his knife into the table and spun it around, looking up at the soldier.

"We sent some men out to follow him, but we can't be sure. He's smart, he may have seen them by now." Miraz continued to spin the knife and watched as it carved a small hole in the wood.

"Is there something else?" The soldier took in a shaky breath as Miraz stood up, focused on him. "What is it?" he asked slowly.

"Your daughter helped him escape. She—she left with him."

"Miraz!" his wife gasped, waiting for her husband's reaction.

"Impossible. He must have forced her, threatened her in some way. The young king _kidnapped_ my daughter-"

"Sir, the boy didn't kill the guards. When they came to, they told us what happened. They said the princess helped him escape and left with him-"

"I heard you the first time. You and the other guards are accusing the princess, my daughter, of treason, you understand? She is incapable of such an offense. Say that again and I will have you and any of the others who doubt Mary executed before morning! Do you understand?" Miraz shouted, pulling the knife up and stabbing it back into the table so it stood on its own. He let go of it and walked around to the front of the table, approaching the man until he was near his face. "Follow the boy and find where they are hiding so we can bring my daughter home. Then," he said leaning closer and carefully enunciating each word. "We will kill every one of them."

"Yes, my king." The man bowed his head and backed out the door, disappearing around the corner. Miraz ran his hand down his chin and over his beard, sitting back heavily in his chair and pulling the knife out of the table.

"This is your fault," his wife whispered from her chair in the corner, pulling her blanket around her and looking out the window.

"What did you say? And I advise you answer with caution."

"You know it's true, Miraz. You messed up. Your plan pushed her farther away instead of keeping her here. She hates you because of what you've done, and she's not coming back."

"Watch your tongue-"

"And Ana? That was you, wasn't it? I can't believe this." She stood from her chair and dropped the blanket, covering her mouth with her hands and pacing the room.

"You are accusing your king of murder," Miraz stated irritated, getting up and blocking his wife's pacing. She stopped where she was and addressed him directly, pushing her finger into his chest.

"Have you forgotten that more importantly you are my husband-" Miraz hit her hard across the face, grabbing her chin and pulling her face back to him, ignoring the tears that had fallen.

"I am your king above everything else. I am your king!" She pulled her face out of his grasp and stepped back, covering where he had hit her with her hand.

"Above everything else, Miraz, you are a monster."

**I hope this was worth the wait! I'm excited for the next few chapters because I'm going to loosely follow the movie, so get ready for that. First Mary has to meet the rest of his family, Caspian, and the Narnians, which will be interesting. I plan to update quicker this time, like in a few days. Thanks again for all the reviews last chapter :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**So I thought I would get this chapter done sooner, but it took forever! I kept having terrible writer's block, but I finished it and I know the next chapters will be much easier to write. This chapter was a lot of trying to build relationships between Mary and the others since she's just coming in, so there's a lot of dialogue, which is something I struggle with. It's not a super eventful chapter, but it was necessary, so I hope you like it :)**

It was nearly morning when they first saw Aslan's How. The trip had taken longer than expected since Edmund had refused Peter's suggestion to push the horses faster, concerned that doing so would wake Mary. During the ride their clothes had gradually become damp from the dew, but the chill it brought helped keep their senses sharp as they fought their exhaustion. However, both Peter and Edmund became more relaxed when they emerged from the forest and rode into the field that led directly to the building where the others were. They could see the faun that kept watch running from his post when he caught sight of them, soon coming back out with a few centaurs as well as Lucy, Susan, and Caspian.

"Looks like they're waiting for us," Edmund said, nudging his horse beside Peter's.

"They've been waiting for a while." Peter glanced beside him at Edmund and smiled, shaking the reigns and riding ahead. "Let's not keep them any longer."

"Come on, Peter!" Edmund yelled as he rode off, looking back at Mary sleeping and sighing, keeping his slow pace. When he got to the entrance Peter had already dismounted and handed off his horse, walking up to hold Edmund's horse.

"And what took you guys so long?" Susan asked, smiling and crossing her arms.

"Well Edmund here wouldn't let us go faster than a walk. He didn't want to wake up his girlfriend."

"She came with you? Aw, is she sleeping?" Lucy tried to look around Peter to get a better look at the girl.

"Who knew our brother was such a gentleman?" Susan commented, raising her eyebrows. Edmund ignored his siblings' comments and gently shook Mary's arm until he felt her lift her head off his back.

"We've made it, Mary." She sat back and removed her arms from around Edmund, reaching behind her head and untying the blindfold as he slid off the horse. He put his hands out as she moved her legs to one side, helping her down before handing the reigns to one of the fauns.

"Was she wearing a blindfold?" Susan asked.

"Peter's idea." Edmund and Susan both looked over to Peter who rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"It was a necessary precaution. We don't know her, we don't know if she can be trusted."

"Oh Peter-"

"See Susan; I told you she was pretty," Lucy whispered loudly, pulling at her sister's sleeve and smiling, drawing the attention away from Peter.

"Lucy!" Edmund scolded.

"What? It's a compliment! I'm allowed to say she's pretty. Anyway, how did the two of you run into each other? And why did you help him? And why did you leave? He didn't make you come, did he?"

"Lucy, try not to overwhelm her, will you? She just got here-"

"No, it's fine." Mary said touching Edmund's arm lightly, then reaching out to shake Lucy's hand. "I've heard so much about you. I couldn't wait to finally meet Edmund's family-" Lucy moved her hand out of the way and instead pulled Mary into a tight hug.

"Thank you so much for bringing our brother back to us," she whispered into Mary's clothing. Mary nodded her head and smiled shyly, looking back at Edmund.

"Lucy said she saw the two of you together, while he was being kept prisoner. Why did Miraz let that happen? Unless something changed, I thought you were kept away from others—especially prisoners." Mary looked away from Edmund to Caspian, noticing the same skeptical look Peter had been wearing since she ran into him. She couldn't blame them—they were in the middle of a war, and even she wondered if this had been part of her father's plan, but she was convinced that her father letting her be around Edmund had been a different plan that ended the moment she fled.

"My father—he went _crazy_. He's not thinking straight; he's being impulsive. He talked to me about sacrifice, and at some point I think he decided I would be his. He tried to use me to get to Edmund, to get to the Narnians—but he lost me. That's why I'm here. He went too far and he can't be saved."

"I'm not sure if coming here is any better. We have no plan and your people outnumber us in soldiers and weapons, and it's only a matter of time before they find us." Peter stepped closer to the group, receiving a glare from Susan.

"I do wish you'd stop talking like there's no hope."

"Well he's right. We have no next move," Caspian added, receiving the same look.

"Well maybe some rest would do us all good. I know I haven't slept well since Edmund was taken, and I don't think anyone else has either." Susan walked up to Edmund and patted him on the shoulder, pulling him in for a hug. "I'm glad you're safe. Come on now, why don't you rest? You look terrible." She reached to ruffle his hair but he dodged away, moving towards the back of the group beside Mary. She smirked and grabbed a torch, eyeing the two as she motioned for the others to follow. Edmund placed his hand carefully on the small of Mary's back and nodded reassuringly, lightly pushing her forward to join the others as they walked to the room with the stone table, finding an appropriate spot and laying down to rest.

* * *

"So you're the one who saw Aslan?" Lucy sat up, Mary sitting up with her, and smiled.

"Edmund told you about Aslan?" The excitement in Lucy's voice showed Mary her desperation for someone to believe in her, and Edmund telling Mary about Lucy seeing Aslan must have been proof that her brother did.

"Yes, and he sounds magnificent."

"Oh he is. He is so gentle, and yet he is the most powerful creature I've ever seen. It's amazing to see something that can balance both so well." Mary waited a moment before speaking again, addressing the thing that had truly been on her mind.

"When I first ran into Peter when we were trying to escape, him and Edmund got into an argument. Edmund said something about Aslan being the one who defeated the White Witch. Who was she?" Lucy's smile faded and she looked back at the stone table.

"She was the one who killed him. Right there, you see the table? I saw her kill him there. Susan and I did. She was so cruel. She cut off his beautiful mane—he looked so small."

"If she killed him, then how is it he defeated her?" Mary waited in horror, imagining such a powerful, beautiful creature like Aslan being subdued by such evil.

"Well he came back. He knew something she didn't. You see that crack? How the table is broken? It did that when he came back to life. What she didn't know was that because he was sacrificing himself and dying in the place of another, he couldn't die."

"In the place of another? Who did he die for?" Lucy hesitated and pulled together her eyebrows, studying Mary's face and then relaxing.

"Oh, you didn't know about any of this, did you? He died for Edmund, of course." Mary breathed out an 'oh,' remembering the way Edmund spoke of Aslan and beginning to understand why his respect for the lion ran so deep.

"But why?" Lucy sighed and lay back down, facing Mary and smiling weakly.

"That's something you should probably ask Edmund." Mary nodded and looked at Edmund as he laid his blanket out, sitting down and talking to his brother. She realized there was so much she didn't know or understand, and she feared that she wouldn't like it once she did. Her eyes then found Caspian alone, sitting on the stone stairs that faced the table.

"I'll be right back," she said as she stood and brushed off her skirts, sitting down next to Caspian on the other side of the room and allowing the silence between them to remain a moment as she looked at him, noticing the way he stared at his clasped hands as if he hadn't noticed her approach. "Thank you."

"For what?" he responded, still staring down at his hands.

"For playing with me. That might sound silly, especially now, in the middle of all this, but it meant so much. For the longest time I thought no one played with me because something was wrong with me—that I was destined to be alone; I had no idea it was because of my father. I was so lonely, but then you asked me to play. It helped with the loneliness, even after they took me away; and to think all it took was one person. It's amazing the power a single person can hold in the life of another."

"Like your father."

"He's not who I was referring to. You managed to bring the Narnians out of hiding—you made them want to fight for their freedom again. And I assume you were the one to bring back the kings and queens? Am I wrong? Look around you Caspian; you may not have as many soldiers or weapons as our people, but you have so much more in other ways. You have the kings and queens with you now. My father has no one. He's lost his sanity because he's terrified. Edmund's presence alone had him risking the things he loved, and we still managed to escape. I think you underestimate the Narnians more than my father." Caspian shook his head and laughed, looking over at Mary. "What?"

"How is it we are so different from our people?"

"I don't know, but it has certainly made things harder."

"What do you suppose they're talking about?" Edmund asked as he sat on his blanket, looking over his shoulder to where Mary and Caspian sat.

"I don't know. They come from the same place; I'm sure they're just catching up or something. Her father did try to have him killed, after all. " Peter glanced at Edmund and smiled, pushing him over from his squatting position.

"Hey, what was that for?" Peter shook his head and laid down, turning over and pulling the blanket over him. "Oh shut up," Edmund muttered, pulling his own blanket over him.

* * *

Edmund woke to chaos. He sat up and viewed the scene in a drowsy confusion, throwing the blankets off of him when he recognized the screaming to be Peter.

"This is why I didn't want her to come! I knew we couldn't trust her; I knew the moment we turned our back she would be out of here running back to _her_ people!"

"You made her wear a blindfold! It's impossible that she could find her way back," Susan tried to reason.

"Hey, what's going on? Where's Mary?" Peter faced Edmund and titled his head, breathing out his nose and walking closer.

"Where's Mary? Well she's not here, obviously. So you tell me, Edmund; can she still be trusted? I told you before we came that this would be on you, and now it is."

"You think she ran back to her psychotic father after all this? When are you going to get it, Peter? Mary isn't going to betray us-"

"She isn't? She betrayed her people; what makes you so certain that she won't betray ours?"

"Take that back-"

"Stop fighting you two!" Lucy yelled desperately. "We should try to find her before we start accusing her of anything." Peter and Edmund glared at each other for another moment before Peter broke the gaze and grabbed a torch, handing one to Edmund and putting his arm out so the others would walk in front of him.

"I swear you two would rather argue about something all day than actually do something about it," Susan muttered, bumping her shoulder against Peter as she walked by. They hurried through the pathways until they came out where the others were crafting the weapons, some of them sitting in a corner of the room eating and others in another corner resting.

"Hey, has a girl come through here? A little shorter than Edmund, long, dark hair?" Peter asked a Minotaur passing by. He shook his head and apologized, returning to his post. Peter asked some of the others they passed, but they all answered in the same way. "She's probably long gone by now," he said, running this hand through his hair.

"Have you considered that something may be wrong? That maybe she's in trouble?" Peter didn't answer as they left the room and moved back into a pathway that led to the front. Peter put his hand up and placed a finger over his mouth, stopping when they saw the shadow of a figure on the wall. Peter pulled his sword and held it out, moving quickly around the corner.

"Oh my—Peter!" Mary jumped back against the wall, placing her hand over her chest. Peter kept his sword out in front of him, Mary eyeing it nervously and looking back up to him. "What is this?"

"Peter, drop it." Edmund pushed Peter's arm down and looked to Mary who took a step away from the wall.

"Where were you, Mary?" he asked, hoping she would relieve Peter's suspicions.

"I went outside to get some air. I wasn't too tired since I slept the whole way here, and when I went outside I ran into some of the Narnians. They were taking a break so I talked to them for a while. They told me about what happened to them—how the Telmarines tried to wipe them out. Is something wrong? Why did you pull your sword on me?" Peter placed his sword back into the sheath.

"Do you feel stupid now, Peter?" Lucy asked smiling. "He thought you had left and returned to the Telmarines."

"I'm not sure how to prove my loyalty to you," Mary said concerned. "You can take me as a prisoner if you must. If it makes you feel safer."

"That won't be necessary," Peter muttered, refusing to look at Mary. Susan sighed and nudged him, raising her eyebrows at him. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Mary."

"It's fine, really. Where's Caspian?" She asked, looking around the group to see if he was in the back.

"He was with us I thought. Should we see if he went back to the altar?" Peter thought for a moment and then started walking forward, the others following behind him. Edmund started to turn around before he noticed Mary hadn't moved. He stopped and looked at her with concern, worried that she was still struggling with everything that had changed so suddenly, and Peter's reluctance wasn't helping. "Are you coming?"

"Did you doubt me too, Edmund? I wouldn't blame you if you did, I just want to know."

"I don't doubt you, Mary." Mary brushed her hair behind her ear, nervous under Edmund's intense gaze.

"Well come on." She moved past him and took hold of his sleeve, pulling him along with her.

* * *

"I never knew what was happening outside of our castle, but my father was not the first to hate the Narnians. He was taught to as a child by the kings before him. But what happened out there, it was truly awful. Some of the Narnians told me about how they've been living in trees, trees that used to sing and dance. I can only imagine the world Narnia was when you lived in it." Mary walked beside Edmund in the back of the group, fascinated by the things she had been told.

"Narnia wasn't always beautiful. When we first came here it was ruled by something evil."

"And so Aslan freed it?"

"When Aslan bears his teeth winter meets its death. When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again." Lucy looked back at Mary and smiled. "We just have to have faith."

"That's beautiful." Mary looked to Edmund who was smiling too.

"Trumpkin, have you seen Caspian?" Peter stopped when he saw the dwarf coming their way.

"He passed through a few minutes ago with Nikabrik. They were on their way to the altar it seemed."

"Do you have any idea as to why?"

"No, but I'll come with you to see. Make sure everything is all right." Trumpkin joined them as they continued through the passageways, walking beside Lucy and holding the torch for her.

"I'm sorry about Peter by the way. He'll come around, eventually. He really does want to trust you, he's just put so much pressure on himself, especially after what happened at the siege."

"It's fine. He's got a lot of people looking up to him right now. I wouldn't expect any less, really."

"Caspian, no!" Edmund drew his sword at the sound of Peter's voice, coming around the corner to see the same sight Peter was confronting.

"Mary, stay back." Edmund put his arm out in front of Mary and walked in front of her. Mary placed her hand on his back and looked around him, holding onto his shirt tightly when she saw the creature circling Caspian.

"Impossible. Peter, how is she here?"

"Who is it Edmund? Who is she?" Mary kept her hand on Edmund's back as she stared at the wall of ice that Caspian faced, noticing the image of a woman extending her hand towards Caspian.

"She's the White Witch."

**I'm sure you guys remember the scene that's coming up! Well, it seems Edmund is going to have to finally explain what happened with the White Witch. Also, I want to thank everyone for their reviews! They were so nice and encouraging and they always put a big smile on my face :D **


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